Pre-Columbian Americas

Prehispanic Mesoamerica Pre-Columbian Americas Americas to do

• Metallurgy in pre-Columbian Americas per region:
  • North America: no smelting
    • copper readily available, malleable by hammering
  • South America developed smelting
  • Mesoamerica metallurgy via South American diffusion
• see: Metallurgy in pre-Columbian America - Wikipedia
  • iron readily available
  • gold / silver / copper
    • gold hammered
    • tumbaga: copper-gold alloy
      • used for casting
  • gems used extensively / jade
  • obsidian used for edges/ knives/ cutting
    • ability to cut stone
    • but not wood
  • • source: The Minerals of Pre-Columbian America | Rock & Gem Magazine (rockngem.com)
  • • Andes region alloy use
      • tin used for specific but not general purposes >> "wirework bells"
        • tin deposits avail, not exploited
    • copper smelting in drafted furnaces
    • mercury
    • platinum developed in Andes region
      • copper, gold, silver alloys
      • technology adopted by Spanish
    • sinnabar
  • wood less useful
    • charcoal not developed
    • planks not exploited for buildings / ships